Magnetometer

Helium vector magnetometer (HVM) of the Pioneer

10 and 11 spacecraft
A magnetometer is a device that measures magnetic field or magnetic dipole moment.
Different types of magnetometers measure the direction, strength, or relative change of
a magnetic field at a particular location. A compass is one such device, one that
measures the direction of an ambient magnetic field, in this case, the Earth's magnetic
field. Other magnetometers measure the magnetic dipole moment of a magnetic
material such as a ferromagnet, for example by recording the effect of this magnetic
dipole on the induced current in a coil.
The first magnetometer capable of measuring the absolute magnetic intensity at a point
in space was invented by Carl Friedrich Gauss in 1833 and notable developments in the
19th century included the Hall effect, which is still widely used.
Magnetometers are widely used for measuring the Earth's magnetic field, in geophysical
surveys, to detect magnetic anomalies of various types, and to determine the dipole
moment of magnetic materials. In an aircraft's attitude and heading reference system,
they are commonly used as a heading reference. Magnetometers are also used by the
military as a triggering mechanism in magnetic mines to detect submarines.
Consequently, some countries, such as the United States, Canada and Australia,
classify the more sensitive magnetometers as military technology, and control their
distribution.
Magnetometers can be used as metal detectors: they can detect only magnetic (ferrous)
metals, but can detect such metals at a much greater distance than conventional metal
detectors, which rely on conductivity. Magnetometers are capable of detecting large
objects, such as cars, at over 10 metres (33 ft), while a conventional metal detector's
range is rarely more than 2 metres (6 ft 7 in).
In recent years, magnetometers have been miniaturized to the extent that they can be
incorporated in integrated circuits at very low cost and are finding increasing use as
miniaturized compasses (MEMS magnetic field sensor).

Introduction[edit]
Magnetic fields[edit]
Magnetic fields are vector quantities characterized by both strength and direction. The
strength of a magnetic field is measured in units of tesla in the SI units, and in gauss in
the cgs system of units. 10,000 gauss are equal to one tesla.[1] Measurements of the
Earth's magnetic field are often quoted in units of nanotesla (nT), also called a gamma.
[2]
The Earth's magnetic field can vary from 20,000 to 80,000 nT depending on location,
fluctuations in the Earth's magnetic field are on the order of 100 nT, and magnetic field
variations due to magnetic anomalies can be in the picotesla (pT) range.
[3]
Gaussmeters and teslameters are magnetometers that measure in units of gauss or
tesla, respectively. In some contexts, magnetometer is the term used for an instrument
that measures fields of less than 1 millitesla (mT) and gaussmeter is used for those
measuring greater than 1 mT.[1]
Types of magnetometer[edit]

The Magnetometer experiment for the Juno orbiter for

Juno can be seen here on the end of a boom. The spacecraft uses two fluxgate
magnetometers. (see also Magnetometer (Juno))
There are two basic types of magnetometer measurement. Vector
magnetometers measure the vector components of a magnetic field. Total field
magnetometers or scalar magnetometers measure the magnitude of the vector
magnetic field.[4] Magnetometers used to study the Earth's magnetic field may express
the vector components of the field in terms of declination (the angle between the
horizontal component of the field vector and true, or geographic, north) and
the inclination (the angle between the field vector and the horizontal surface).[5]
Absolute magnetometers measure the absolute magnitude or vector magnetic field,
using an internal calibration or known physical constants of the magnetic sensor.
[6]
Relative magnetometers measure magnitude or vector magnetic field relative to a
fixed but uncalibrated baseline. Also called variometers, relative magnetometers are
used to measure variations in magnetic field.
Magnetometers may also be classified by their situation or intended use. Stationary
magnetometers are installed to a fixed position and measurements are taken while the
magnetometer is stationary.[4] Portable or mobile magnetometers are meant to be used
while in motion and may be manually carried or transported in a moving
vehicle. Laboratory magnetometers are used to measure the magnetic field of materials
placed within them and are typically stationary. Survey magnetometers are used to
measure magnetic fields in geomagnetic surveys; they may be fixed base stations, as in
the INTERMAGNET network, or mobile magnetometers used to scan a geographic
region.